Volume 116, Issue 3 | Monday, September 21, 2026 | mcgilldaily.com | Boom. since 1911
Radio TinTin Victoryland Interview: The Selfish Pursuit of Music Is Montreal Still an Affordable Student City?
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Dawson College: Two Decades After the Tragedy Pg 5
The UCI World Championships: Where Excitement Meets Inconvience
Published by The Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University. The McGill Daily is located on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory.
2 September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
Zoe Sanguin Staff Illustrator
Annual General Meeting All members of the Daily Publications Society (DPS), publisher of The McGill Daily and Le Délit, are cordially invited to its Annual General Meeting:
Wednesday, September 30th @ 6:00 pm McGill University Centre, 3480 Rue McTavish, Room 107
DPS Directors meet at least once a month to discuss the management of both Le Délit and The McGill Daily and get to vote on important decisions related to the DPS’s activities. The annual financial statements and the report of the public accountant are available at the office of the DPS and any member may, on request, obtain a copy free of charge. Questions? Send email to: chair@dailypublications.org
Volume 116 Issue 3
EDITORIAL
September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
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Editorial Board 3480 McTavish St, Room 107 Montreal, QC, H3A 0E7 phone 514.398.6790 fax 514.398.8318 mcgilldaily.com
Health first!
The McGill Daily is located on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory. Content warning: eating disorders
coordinating editor
Ingara Maidou managing editor
Adair Nelson news editors
Justin Friedberg Mara Gibea Sonia Berman commentary + compendium! editor
Vacant culture editor
Isabelle Lim features editor
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Golnar Saegh social media editor
Vacant cover design
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Anneke Goodwin, Zoe Sanguin, Annabelle Premont contributors
Lorin Kamaci, Tessa Sanders, Lily Franz, Molly M, Jad Morin, Meg Ha
Published by the Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University. The views and opinions expressed in the Daily are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of McGill University. The McGill Daily is independent from McGill University.
3480 McTavish St, Room 107 Montreal, QC H3A 0E7 phone 514.398.690 fax 514.398.8318
When life gets busy, our physical well-being is the first thing we sacrifice. This problem is the unfortunate reality for many university students. The transition into post-secondary life is a unique circumstance for many of us: acclimating to new responsibilities, increased independence, living alone, a greater courseload…all at once. In the wake of these new and immediate pressures, we usually put our physical health on the backburner. Pulling all-nighters, hours working at a computer screen, and neglecting nutrition are all commonplace — especially at a competitive university like McGill, where we’ve glorified destructive habits and reframed them as necessary sacrifices for academic success. The effects of these habits on our health are yet to be seen. We’re young, we’re adaptable, we tell ourselves that we can afford to miss a night of sleep — this assignment is just too important! That is exactly the problem: whereas schoolwork yields short-term results, our lifestyle choices can have detrimental effects on our long-term health despite having little consequence in our current day-to-day lives. Sleep debt, for example, is particularly acute among university students. A study found that many students report struggling to get enough sleep. McGill is no exception — allnighters are all-too-common. In fact, irregular and insufficient sleep is so normalized that the university itself keeps its libraries open 24 hours a day during exam periods. While this is ostensibly to support students struggling through exam prep, it also turns a blind eye to the irreparable damage round-theclock studying can have on students’ bodies and brain development. Indeed, neglecting sleep has far worse consequences than we often assume. In the short-term, muscle repair slows and the immune system weakens, making us more susceptible to all sorts of disease, sickness, and injury. In the long-term, sustained sleep deprivation is positively correlated with all-cause mortality, stroke, disease, and a plethora of other somatic diseases and conditions. Just because sleep deprivation is normalized doesn’t mean it's natural or inevitable. We should find it alarming that we are ready to sacrifice something so fundamental for the sake of productivity. Similarly, our neglect of proper nutrition is disturbing. Disordered eating patterns emerge in times of high stress; students cite a lack of motivation to cook and a perceived lack of time during exam periods as reasons to resort to ordering expensive take-out, or skipping meals altogether.
Food options from cafes, fast food restaurants, or convenience stores can be a quick-fix to fit a meal into a tight schedule. However, when we develop a dependency on these options, we become passive consumers of food rather than active decision-makers in our nutritional habits. Relying on these makeshift meals makes it difficult to develop sustainable and financially responsible habits surrounding food down the line. While McGill has a selection of affordable food on campus, such as SSMU’s free lunch, the majority of their food services include cafes, restaurants, and convenience stores that can be unaffordable for a student. Another result of neglecting nutrition is the normalization of skipping meals and underfueling. This issue is especially pertinent for young women, a major university demographic, who are the most prone to disordered eating. In addition to the destructive mental health consequences, the physical effects of restrictive eating are devastating: higher risk of death, osteoporosis, and low mobility. An inactive lifestyle exacerbates problems caused by irregular sleep and improper nutrition. Academic work is almost always done sitting behind a computer screen and often spans long periods of time. Although sedentary work doesn’t necessarily result in a completely sedentary lifestyle, students often organize their schedules and other commitments revolving around their academics. It is expected that all else — food, rest, and activity — will be readily sacrificed for one’s desired GPA. We don’t just take part in these self-destructive habits; we take pride in them. Bragging about getting little to no sleep and eating next to nothing in order to commit to endless hours of schoolwork falsely assumes that when more sacrifices are made, we will be more successful. Meanwhile, eating well, sleeping enough, and making time for physical activity has time and time again proven to better academic performance. Still, improving grades should not be the main objective of cultivating better habits; a happy and healthy life itself should be the goal. At McGill, once the semester ramps up, it seems like everyone is constantly struggling, tired, and overwhelmed; if you aren’t, then you are seen to “have it easy.” Of course university should still challenge students, but we need to shift academic culture away from glamorizing stress and an overbearing workload. This only leads students to pin success on overexertion and neglecting their physical wellbeing. If we want to protect ourselves in a world that prioritizes results over humans, we need to start taking care of ourselves. Eat a sandwich, drink water, take a nap, and go for a walk.
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4 September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
NEWS
Two Decades After the Tragedy
Quebec gun control debate resurfaces twenty years after the shooting at Dawson College Lorin Kamaci News Contributor Content warning: death, violence eptember 13 marks twenty years since the 2006 shooting at the Dawson College CEGEP, where one student was killed and 19 others were injured. Two decades later, families and survivors are citing the anniversary to argue that Canada’s legal approach to gun control remains unresolved. In an open letter, families of survivors and victims called upon the federal government to act on three commitments: completing the ban and removing assault-style firearms, closing the largecapacity magazine loopholes, and strengthening the oversight of handgun exemptions. Their demands ensued decades after major shootings in Quebec
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definition of prohibited firearms and introduced additional measures related to illegally manufactured firearms and licences in cases involving domestic violence. Quebec also maintains firearm regulations of its own. Since 2018, the province has operated the Quebec Firearms Registration Service (SIAF). Most firearm owners in Quebec are required to register their firearms with the provincial system, in addition to meeting federal licensing requirements. Prohibited and restricted firearms, however, are registered federally rather than through the SIAF. The distinction means that what is often described broadly as “Quebec gun law” is actually a combination of provincial and federal regulations. One of the largest ongoing disputes concerns assault-style firearms. The Assault-Style
September 13 marks twenty years since the 2006 shooting at the CEGEP, Dawson College, where one student was killed and 19 others were injured. triggered debates over firearm regulations. Debates that have been reignited by thousands demonstrating against federal firearm restrictions in Quebec City earlier this year. The gun control debate precedes the Dawson tragedy. A debate that came to the forefront nationally after the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre where 14 women were killed in a misogynist attack. In its aftermath, the Coalition for Gun Control was formed. In 1995, the federal government adopted Bill C-68 which established the Firearms Act and expanded requirements surrounding licensing and registration. By the time the Dawson shooting took place eleven years later, Canada already had a significantly broader federal firearm regulation. However, the attack renewed questions about what kinds of firearms could legally circulate in the country and whether further restrictions were necessary. In 2023, the federal government made the handgun freeze permanent. Under the measure, new handgun registration certificates cannot be issued to individuals. This prevents most new purchases, sales, and transfers, while allowing people who previously owned handguns to retain them. The legislation also expanded the Criminal Code’s
Firearms Compensation Program was created to compensate eligible owners who surrender prohibited firearms. Owners who did not participate must dispose of or permanently
deactivate affected firearms by October 30 of this year. For gun control advocates, the removal of these firearms is one of the commitments that remains incomplete. For opponents of the program, however, it has become a symbol of what they view as unfair restrictions on legal firearm owners. Moreover, this disagreement came into public view on February 28, when several thousand protesters from Quebec and the rest of Canada gathered outside the National Assembly in Quebec City to oppose the federal program. At the demonstration, Sophie Béland, the provincial director of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, argued that the program unfairly targets legal firearm owners who are not involved in crime. Other participants described themselves as hunters and sport shooters concerned about losing legally acquired property. PolySeSouvient, a guncontrol advocacy group formed by survivors and families affected by the École Polytechnique massacre, criticized the movement opposing the removal program. The advocacy group argued that the firearms covered by the ban had been prohibited for public safety reasons. The February protest also raised another question about the shifting discourse of firearm politics in Quebec. Some arguments made around the demonstration emphasized
owning firearms for selfdefence. This framing is particularly associated with gun politics in the United States, where firearm ownership is constitutionally La Presse protected. investigative journalist, Tristan Péloquin, argued that American political discourse surrounding firearms has increasingly influenced Canadian gun owners,
the time of earlier mass shootings, while the federal government continues to determine how some of the newest restrictions will be implemented. For the families and survivors of the Dawson College shooting, September 13 is not only a day of remembrance but also a time to make distinctions between the passing of legislation and its implementations. This
For the families and survivors of the Dawson College shooting, September 13 is not only a day of remembrance but also a time to make distinctions between the passing of legislation from its implementations. particularly on the idea of possessing firearms for personal protection. This does not necessarily mean that Quebec’s gun regulations are becoming comparable to that of the United States; however, the language used to defend gun ownership in Quebec may be starting to change. Twenty years after Dawson, the anniversary arrives in the middle of an ongoing debate. This debate that has shifted as Canada and Quebec have introduced layers of firearm regulation that did not exist at
renewed distinction places the question facing governments in the present, twenty years later: not only regarding how much gun control policy has changed since 2006, but how much of it remains unresolved.
Nikhila Shanker Visuals Editor
NEWS
September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
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The UCI Road World Championships: Where Excitement Meets Incovenience Road closures raise concerns about transport complications and accessibility Tessa Sanders News Contributor s the city prepares for the UCI Grand Prix Cycliste and Road World Championships ongoing street closures are raising concerns among locals, businesses, and individuals with reduced mobility. The Grand Prix Cycliste is a competition between commercial world and pro teams whereas the Road World Championships is a competition between national teams. These cycling events are among the most internationally prestigious, bringing the best cyclists to the streets of Montreal to compete for international recognition. Road closures began on September 5 in preparation for the Grand Prix Cycliste, which occurred on September 13. With the Road World Championships occurring from September 20 to 27, accessibility barriers and mobility challenges have become a topic of discussion. The road closures for the Road World Championships will affect 36 kilometres of Montreal streets, including major pedestrian pathways, and will last until October 4. According to the Ville de Montreal website, roads near McGill will face closures, either until October 4 or on select race days. These roads include Avenue du Mont Royal Est, Avenue du Parc, Rue Saint-Urbain, Avenue du Docteur-Penfield, and Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Moreover, students living near the BerriUQAM metro station will experience closures on roads such as Rue Sainte-Catherine Est and Rue Berri. Those who frequent Parc Mont Royal should also prepare for closures on parts of Chemin Olmsted and Chemin Remembrance. On Sunday, I briefly watched the UCI Grand Prix Cycliste from the Plateau and had the opportunity to see many excited Montrealers doing the same. That being said, those with reduced mobility remain concerned about transit access. The CBC reports that during a recent meeting between VilleMarie borough council officials, wheelchair user France Martin brought up concerns surrounding the inaccessibility of the STM's paratransit due to the closures. According to CTV News , accessibility advocates have argued that these closures will also affect people’s access to medication, groceries, and homecare. CTV spoke with Steven Laperrière, executive director of Regroupement des activistes pour l’inclusion au
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Québec (RAPLIQ), an organization which advocates for Quebecois people with disabilities. Laperrière stated that because of the month-long duration of the closures, accessibility barriers are “very complicated.” He argues that the effects of these closures could be detrimental, calling for greater effort from the city to reduce barriers. In addition to transit barriers, there are multiple pedestrian bridges where people must climb flights of stairs in order to cross. This includes the bridge at the intersection of Avenue du Parc and Avenue des Pins Ouest. As a result, those in wheelchairs or with mobility challenges can only cross the course with on-site assistance at designated times. This challenge may require significant planning and flexibility from people with disabilities. On top of these accessibility concerns, there is a growing conversation among local business owners on how to adapt to the challenge of reduced access for their consumers. CTV reports that businesses on Avenue du Parc have expressed concerns of closures deterring suppliers from reaching their businesses. That being said, some businesses are looking forward to the expected increase in foot traffic from championship watchers. The road closures are also sure to obstruct recreational running and cycling routes near McGill and in other parts of Montreal. With the closure of parts of Chemin Olmstead near Avenue du Parc, students will have to find different points of entry to access Parc Mont Royal. One alternative entry is at the top of Rue University near the Upper Residence dorms. Moreover, those who run or cycle near Parc Jean-Drapeau may experience inconveniences as roads such as Circuit GillesVilleneuve and Pont de la Concorde will also experience closures from September 19 to 21. The city has established multiple measures to respond to accessibility concerns. According to the CBC, mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada stated that "Accessibility for people who rely on services like paratransit is indeed going to be a major issue during these championships because — let’s be honest — it’s going to be a nightmare." Consequently, the city and event coordinators have agreed that the STM will be permitted through blocked areas to ensure paratransit access. Urgences-santé spokesperson, Geneviève Poirier, told CTV News that there will be “two dedicated ambulance crews, as well as paramedics on bicycles.”
Zoe Sanguin Staff Illustrator Bixi has also announced an expansion of bike access to improve mobility around the city. According to the CBC, from September 13 to 27, the maximum duration of rides for monthly Bixi subscribers will increase from 45 minutes to one hour. There will also be a total of 120 stations within 500 metres of racing routes. In addition, the Bixi team plans to adapt their services, by either adding additional bikes or ensuring space at docking stations, to create alternative means of transport in response to the increase in traffic and road closures. Bixi has also created daily maps which show the bike stations and race routes, which are accessible at their website. Despite the city’s modifications, students, commuters, and people with disabilities are sure to confront challenges to their daily routines. As race routes change daily, closures remain somewhat inconsistent. In order to stay up to date, monitor the 2026 UCI Road World
Championships interactive map on the Ville de Montreal website. It details daily road closures, including changes to localtraffic-only roads and pedestrian crossings from September 19 to 27. Commuter students should also plan their routes on the STM website, which has a detailed travel guide, outlining the disruptions and modifications to regular transit routes. Students should also make use of apps such as Transit or Chrono as these will display live transit schedules and delays due to the Road World Championships. While accessibility remains an ongoing concern, the Road World Championships are also an opportunity for McGill students to attend a world-class sporting event for free. The official Fan Village located in Parc Jeanne-Mance is only a short walk from McGill campus. Moreover, all the races have the same finish line on Avenue du Parc. While students can observe the races along race routes, they can also watch the races on giant screens, participate in contests, and buy food and drinks in the Fan
Village. These Fan Village perks and race schedules can further be monitored on the UCI Road World Championships website.
Nikhila Shanker Visuals Editor
6 September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
NEWS
AI and the ‘Syllabus Effect’
How large language models are rewriting the syllabus in university courses Anneke Goodwin Staff Writer s OAP ends and the school year begins, students gear up for yet another semester filled with back-to-back papers. However, the take-home written assignments they once knew have been ditched, replaced by in-class midterms and presentations, as professors begin to opt for what they believe to be an AI-safe model. The Daily spoke with Anna Jahn, executive director for the Centre for Media Technology and Democracy at McGill's Max Bell School of Public Policy. We talked about her professional opinion on the syllabus effect: a notable decline in in-class assessments across postsecondary institutions as a result of AI. When talking with Jahn, the asked Daily specifically how the syllabus effect currently manifests at McGill compared to past semesters and how she predicts it will look in the future. Jahn recently published an opinion piece in The Globe and Mail , entitled: "Universities should stop treating AI as a cheating problem." She cites a 2026 study from the Higher Education Policy Institute at Oxford, which found that 94 per cent of UK undergraduate students use generative AI to aid with school work. Moreover, KPMG Canada found last fall that 73 per cent of students in Canada now rely on generative AI for schoolwork, an increase from 52 per cent two years ago. Of the Canadian students surveyed by KPMG, 45 per cent say their first instinct is to use AI when drafting written assignments, a practice of which 48 per cent attribute to the decline in their critical thinking skills. Academic institutions have begun providing widespread access to specific generative AI models, which Jahn described as a more coordinated approach. For example, McGill's Max Bell School of Public Policy provides all students and faculty with access to Claude Pro. However, as Jahn wrote in her article, "[Claude Pro] is a subscription and a training program. It is not a rethink of what a degree is for." Moreover, certain Canadian professors, for example Jonathan Malloy (Carleton) and Daniel Silver (UofT), have partially opted for assignments that require and engage with AI. Malloy and Silver have similar approaches, essentially having students use AI to produce papers or assignments and then analyze
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AI's response. When asked if she had noticed the impacts of AI on syllabi this year, Jahn acknowledged McGill’s more proactive approach this fall. However, she also stressed the absence of an up-to-date, consistent AI policy across McGill and other postsecondary institutions. Additionally, she noted a move
Balán, presented their faculty with a framework for professors to use when drafting AI policies in syllabi. The framework provided faculty with concrete categories and language, so that these policies (no matter the professors' individual stances on AI) can all be slightly more cohesive. Jahn breaks down AI
this as the model as this is what Jahn describes as the “least effective.” Option three is freedom for students to use AI. What is essential is not mixing the models, but using them in tandem, as, according to The Globe and Mail , “the mass lecture model has been failing students long before ChatGPT arrived." Though this is a newly
Nikhila Shanker Visuals Editor
73 per cent of students in Canada now rely on generative AI for schoolwork, an increase from 52 per cent of two years ago. Of the Canadian students surveyed by KPMG, 45 per cent say their first instinct is to use AI when drafting written assignments, a practice of which 48 per cent attribute to the decline in their critical thinking skills. away from take-home papers and a pivot towards in-class assessments. This is echoed in a key piece of feedback from the Max Bell Center's cohort last year: students need to monitor their use of AI. This summer, the Max Bell School administration, including but not limited to Director Jennifer Welsh and Associate Director Manuel
regulation into three possibilities. Option one is an AI-free environment with measures like in-class evaluations and digital locking softwares. Option two is a hybrid model in which students aren't technically allowed to use AI but have no parameters in place unlike the digital locking software in option one. The school is looking to avoid
implemented framework, the results of which we have yet to see at the Max Bell Center, Jahn notes that professors have greatly appreciated the guidance and structure provided by the Centre thus far. When asked about different approaches to AI use across McGill’s faculties and programs, Jahn emphasized how each program has a distinct
disciplinary culture and, therefore, fundamentally different modes of evaluation, with some more challenged by AI than others. The Faculty of Arts in particular, with their heavy reliance on the takehome essay, has been targeted; however, not all arts classes are equally affected because there is no unified approach to regulating AI use. When asked about this, Jahn’s response was clear: "This is ultimately where universities and professors need to step in and clarify the rules." Moreover, Jahn was able to tell us more about an AI policy initiative specifically highlighting Canadian students' voices. This past spring, the Centre for Media Technology and Democracy gave voice to young Canadians on AI policy at Gen(Z)AI: Canada’s Youth Assembly on Artificial Intelligence. Over eight months, thousands of youth crafted policy recommendations concerning AI regulations in Canada and presented them in parliament. I asked Jahn what surprised her most about the responses from post-secondary participants of Gen(Z)AI. Without hesitation, she described the manner in which post-secondary Gen Z students balance hope with realism, as seen in Gen(Z)AI’s role as “the democratic voice of [a generation that has] the most to gain or lose, speaking clearly and in their own name.” According to Jahn, Gen Z cannot afford to not think about AI in the same way other generations do. Ultimately, what Jahn drove home most was that higherlevel administration needs to be specific about the main skills they're trying to instill in their students. "The fundamental question AI is pushing on us is ‘what are the real skills and learning outcomes we are working towards and how do we…[allow] our students to explore them?’" For Jahn and McGill faculty, exploring looks like moving toward AI-safe examinations. However, this elicits another question of how students can explore newly acquired knowledge if not through cognitive exercise, research, and the process of writing. Jahn has emphasized both in her article and speaking with the Daily the necessity for McGill to formulate a comprehensive AI policy. As we begin to see the impacts of AI usage on Canadian postsecondary students and their syllabi, the Max Bell School of Public Policy has been taking initiative, creating a framework for professors to tackle the troubling waters of AI use.
SCI+TECH
September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
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I Agree (But I Don’t Understand): The Legitimacy of Consent in Today’s Digital Ecosystem Most people accept Terms and Conditions blindly, without considering the consequences Sophia Di Genova Sci+Tech Contributor e honest — have you ever read, I mean really, read, Apple’s Terms and Conditions before updating your phone? Chances are, you haven’t. It’s not your fault if you’ve tried (and failed) to understand beyond the first sentence. In fact, most people spend less than a minute perusing the terms before clicking “I agree.” These documents are notoriously dense, written in inaccessible language that few users — whether it be educated adults or teenagers unboxing their first iPhone — can genuinely understand, let alone consent to. Beyond the sheer complexity of the clauses, there also is the issue of
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should read these policies, but rather to understand how people perceive their role in the process of consenting. Most participants reported skipping Apple’s T&Cs. Over 70 per cent said they “always” or “often” ignored them, while only three per cent claimed to have fully read one term. Interviewees echoed this sentiment, describing the pursuit of reading these documents as frustrating and futile. Even those who tried reading the fine print admitted they didn’t understand what they read, or felt that the option to decline was a false choice. Others cited time, language, and emotional energy as barriers to reading the T&Cs. When asked how they felt after skipping the T&Cs, most listed emotions such as indifference, “uncomfiness,” or guilt. Some
Over 70 per cent said they “always” or “often” ignored them, while only three per cent claimed to have read one term fully. transparency. Social psychologist Shoshana Zuboff argues that under surveillance capitalism, the systems by which companies collect, interpret, and monetize user data are largely invisible to the people affected by them. Even those who do attempt to read these policies are rarely able to grasp the full scope of what data is being collected and how it’s used. In consequence, consent becomes hollow; a mere performance that legitimizes deeply asymmetrical power dynamics between users and platforms. With growing public concern around internet privacy, the implications of what we consent to digitally are more important than ever. It turns out that much of the reason why we choose to skip reading these documents is by design. Studies show that interfaces push users toward desired outcomes. You may recognize “interface interference,” as obscured information, preselected options, or layouts that steer you toward quick agreement. You may additionally notice the issue of “forced action,” where you must accept terms in order to continue using a service — a dynamic mirrored with Apple, where users cannot access their device without clicking “agree.” I wanted to explore these findings a bit deeper. Focusing on Apple’s Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) and Privacy Policy, my research draws on a descriptive survey as well as a few indepth interviews to explore how users make sense of their own consent practices. The goal of the research is not to determine whether or not people
participants noted that skipping has become so automatic, they rarely think about it, one writing: “I don’t even hesitate anymore. It’s just part of using the phone.” Other times, participants described skipping the T&Cs as a pragmatic response to a system they believed was never designed for them to understand in Eva Marriott-Fabre | Visuals Editor the first place. This is an important compliance is a personal failure, not distinction as it shows that many a structural issue. people were not skipping fully reading Almost 60 per cent of the T&Cs due to lack of concern. respondents said they do not trust Interviewees expressed discomfort Apple to use their data ethically. and even embarrassment when Still, most people felt they had no reflecting on their habits, despite other choice than to accept so that acknowledging how inaccessible the they could participate in modern T&Cs were. life with a phone — posing a clear Most participants, even those who moral dilemma. Despite this, felt uneasy about skipping T&Cs, clicking “agree” functions as full justified their behaviour by legal consent. These findings downplaying the risks or rationalizing suggest that responsibility is their decision in some other way. A defaulted to users, even when they Over time, users have become so used dominant sentiment was that “nothing lack the time and knowledge to skipping these forms, they did not bad has happened so far,” so the needed to make informed decisions. think twice about it. This is perceived threat seemed unlikely to Participants often internalized this reminiscent of cultural ever happen. It was difficult to tell if expectation, blaming themselves anthropologist, Natasha Dow this was a sense of passive trust in for not reading or understanding. Schüll’s, concept of the “machine Apple or just what participants said to This model is unrealistic and zone,” where gamblers interact with make themselves feel better. unfair, placing a huge burden on slot machines in an automatic, Not everyone dismissed the act of individuals while corporations frictionless manner. Similarly, users reading these agreements. Older abstain from taking accountability. engage with consent pop-ups as part participants were far more likely to By exploring not just whether users of a habitual flow; clicking "agree" to have read them, and expressed that read these documents, but how they keep using their phones and rarely doing so was part of being a justify and interpret their behaviour, stopping to consider any responsible consumer. Even still, this research reveals the extensive implications. This is not a failure on most participants who did not read cognitive and emotional labour hidden the individual level, but a feature of them believed it was ultimately beneath a single click. It’s clear most the design. their responsibility to understand people skip T&Cs. However, their Ultimately, there is a them. Additionally, participants reasons for doing so are more complex contradiction at the heart of who felt shame in skipping them than just apathy. Many described a digital consent. Users are invited reinforce the idea that non- sense of frustration, futility, or guilt. to participate in what appears to
Similarly, users engage with consent pop-ups as part of a habitual flow; clicking agree to keep using their phones and rarely stopping to consider any implications. be a reciprocal exchange — access in return for agreement. However, as Russell Belk notes, this is not real sharing, but pseudo-sharing: a system that preaches transparency despite profiting off of an inequality. Users are not unaware of these dynamics — many feel uneasy and frustrated, but the nature of the system leaves them little choice. Consent is thus more of a ritual than a protection. In a time where trust in tech companies is rapidly eroding and data collection is central to the digital economy, we must ask: who is this consent really serving? And what would it look like to build a system where saying “I agree” actually means something?
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CULTURE
September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
Remains Molly M. Culture Contributor
I keep returning to a place that no longer exists. Not a house. Not a street. Something quieter. A moment with its teeth still in me. Everytime I go back, the walls have moved. The windows hold a different sky. Even the silence has learned another name. I have tried to change it. I have stood at the doorway and whispered different endings, turned the clocks backward, moved the pieces as if the past were only a room left untidy. But nothing listens. So I return. And each time, something is different.
A face I remember looks slightly unfamiliar. A word I know I heard belongs to a different sentence. The ending stays the same, but I cannot remember where I first learned it. Perhaps this is what memory does. It does not preserve. It revises. It takes what happened and carries it through the years until even the truth has fingerprints on it. I return to make sure it was real. Instead, I leave with another version. Another door. Another silence. Another me standing somewhere I have never been. And still, I know the way back.
What's the most interesting course you're taking this semester? Naiya, U2 Chemical Engineering
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INTD 398: Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict. I find that I like that the class is quite small and intimate, so there’s a lot of interaction and participation. Also, the topic is just very interesting and relevant to modernday politics.
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Interviews by Charley Tamagno, Copy Editor
The most interesting course would be my elective [HIST 214: Early Modern Europe]. When you’re a science major, your science courses can definitely feel heavy. Alice, U1 Pharmacology (Middle)
My most fun class is my music class [MUTH 101: Basic Materials: Western Music.] Since Pharmacology is very science oriented, it gives me a break from struggling with science. Since I come from CEGEP and high school french, I get to learn music in English terms – it's a whole new thing for me. Jenny ,U1 Pharmacology (Right)
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Bianca, U1 Political Science
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Samantha, U1 Pharmacology (Left)
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I’m taking a geography class [GEOG 205: Global Change: Past, Present and Future.] It’s sort of political, but not at the same time … very different from all my science classes, so it's fun.
Unfortunately I have a science elective, so I don’t get to experience a break. My most interesting class is PHAR 200: Introduction to Pharmacology 1. I really like the way they structure the course … Every week there's a new lecturer and they talk about the research that they are doing here. Seeing how passionate they are about that topic makes me really appreciate the subject.”
CULTURE
September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
9
Radio TinTin
Victoryland: the Selfish Pursuit of Perfect Music Julian McCamman created Victoryland after feeling stuck in his old band. Two years later, his album has charmed the indie world
From the Pit to the Backstage. ince releasing their second album in late January, titled My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It, Brooklyn-based artist Julian McCamman’s new band Victoryland has been making waves in indie circles. Powered by McCamman’s captivating vocals, the alternative indie-pop/rock album has echoes of The Cure in its instrumentation. It was named Stereogum’s Album of The Week, and will without a doubt be a contender for Radio TinTin’s elusive Album of the Year. Despite McCamman’s recent success, his path to gaining momentum in the indie world wasn’t straightforward. As recently as 2024, he was feeling increasingly stifled playing guitar in the Philadelphia punk band Blood, despite the group having released a full-length album and built a small fanbase. He took a risk by leaving the band later that year, instead moving to New York to be the frontman of his own project: Victoryland. The ambition which led him into leaving Blood and starting Victoryland drove him apart from many of his musical peers in Philadelphia. But two years on from that move, it has become apparent that he made the right decision. Following the release of My Heart Is A Room With No Cameras In It, LCD Soundsystem’s frontman James Murphy took a liking to Victoryland, eventually giving them the opportunity to open for the legendary New York band’s North American tour. Their first stop was in Vancouver, where Radio TinTin had the chance to speak to McCamman about what some would call his selfish decision to leave Blood and found Victoryland, pursuing the goal of making “perfect” pop music. A musician’s decision to leave their band is often characterized as ‘selfish’, and it’s easy to see how an artist could take offense at being described this way. Yet McCamman readily agreed with the label: “I like that you called it selfish, honestly… because it was. I think the inception of this project was me starting to prioritize my own
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songwriting over songwriting for [Blood], which had been restricting my creative urge to write true hits and accessible [pop] music.” The abrasive punk sound of his previous band eventually became limiting for McCamman, although it took him a while to realize the appeal of a more “mainstream” outlook. “When I was younger, I really loved experimental music, and I really liked challenging myself [with it],” he recalls. “But when I got older, I think I realized that it takes a real skill to write a simple song that is really infectious.” “I love music where every part of the song is really satisfying, and you can really do that with music. I think about that a lot — how music can be ‘perfect.’ The appeal of what he calls “perfect” music soon became a fixation for McCamman. “I got really obsessed with how people say they can’t stop listening to a song, and what goes into making [that].” The notion of “perfection” goes against the grain of most of the independent music realm. Victoryland itself is labeled as an “alternative” band — so how could they be chasing the very “perfection” they’re branded to reject? Their answer is by aligning “perfect” with music that’s accessible, not necessarily mainstream. Making music for the masses doesn’t have to be synonymous with chasing universal appeal or losing creative nuance. The “perfect” song à la Victoryland can still be deeply authentic, especially in its lyrical content. Using a catchy, danceable pop beat to propose deeper or more psychological themes is something they share with LCD Soundsystem. While the New York band is firmly “alternative,” it’s hard not to dance to singles like the aptly titled “Dance Yrself Clean,” regardless of your musical background. McCamman loves this dichotomy: “My real hope is that someone is jumping up and down and singing to [our] music, and then slowly realizing what they're saying is [actually] really gross or violent. Because that is [the] thing about pop music [that] is really interesting to me — the way people feel it before they really hear what is being said.” The authenticity of Victoryland’s lyrics has become a core feature of their music. The words allow McCamman, a passionate songwriter, to showcase his more unsavoury tastes in a way that to him feels both confrontational and strangely inviting. “If I was to tell you some of the gnarly thoughts I have regularly, I think people would be like, ‘What the hell is wrong with him?’” McCamman says with a chuckle. “But everybody has those thoughts.” Through Victoryland, McCamman seeks to amplify the uglier thoughts that come with being human. Singles like “Here I Stand” channel that same
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Jad Morin Culture Contributor
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You should try for something big and fail really hard, you know? An awesome failure is better than a safe layup. You just might as well go big.
Julian McCamman, Victoryland frontman candour into a disregard for outside expectations, turning the abstract aversion into something blunt and immediate. In it, McCamman sings: “Here I stand / Whoever said it’s foolish / Fuck you and everyone else.” Victoryland’s pursuit of perfection is one that not many are willing to take on, and McCamman is intent on pushing back against the indifference toward ambition that has taken hold in
Photos of Julian McCamman Courtesy of Meg Ha
younger creative circles. “The poison of nonchalance and people who are ‘too cool for school’ are everywhere, especially on the East Coast,” McCamman explains, “I really hate that shit.” He pauses, then reiterates emphatically: ”I hate that shit.” He continues: “Because if you fail and you weren't trying to appease people, then you didn't really fail, right? And there's a failsafe, like, it's
like, ‘Oh, I failed? I didn't try that hard,’” he says with a shrug. “And, well, you should try for something big and fail really hard, you know? An awesome failure is better than a safe layup. You just might as well go big.” In terms of his creative ambitions, McCamman leaves no space for guesswork. He is continuing to strive towards making ‘perfect’ music, according to his own definition.
10 September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
COMMENTARY
Can Montreal Still Afford the title of Student City?
The price of being a student in Canada's "best student city" Lorin Kamaci News contributor ontreal appears to be a perfect student city: there are multiple universities, a variety of studentfriendly neighbourhoods, cafes on every corner, and a cost of living that has been historically lower than cities like Toronto or Vancouver. This studentfriendly reputation has also been affirmed internationally; in QS’s Best Student City ranking, Montreal sat at 20th worldwide and second in North America. However, rankings do not necessarily show how affordable Montreal is for students, who struggle to manage their finances with expenses like rent, food, and tuition. Quality of life varies widely, and the concept of “affordability” itself is subjective. Rather than debate whether Montreal is cheaper than other heavily studentpopulated cities in Canada, we should instead be concerned with who can actually afford to be a student in Montreal today. At McGill, like at most other universities in Montreal, the answer starts with where you come from. For the 2026-2027 academic year, Quebec students pay a basic tuition rate of $103.92 per credit while newly admitted out-of-province Canadian students pay approximately $432.85 per credit, more than four times the Quebec rate. For an international student, the tuition is $1,920 per credit in most undergraduate programs at McGill. These differences in cost are continually shaped by provincial politics. In 2023, the Quebec government announced higher tuition requirements for out-ofprovince Canadian students at English-language universities such as McGill and Concordia, alongside new French-language measures. McGill and Concordia challenged some parts of these policies in court with the Quebec Superior Court delivering its verdict in April 2025. The court
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ruled the measures unreasonable, costs altogether. For a first-year finding that the government had student already adjusting to not provided sufficient evidence university life, these costs can to justify the tuition increase and make life in Montreal feel very that the French-language target different from the affordable city was nearly impossible to achieve. they may have imagined. While the French-language The rental situation outside requirement was struck down, residence is more complicated. Quebec revised its tuition policy After years of increasing prices, and chose to maintain the higher Montreal’s rental market has fees in January 2026. The begun to show some signs of increased out-of-province rates cooling. Statistics Canada remain in effect for the 2026- reported that the average rent 2027 academic year. While for a two-bedroom apartment students may attend the same fell 5.2 per cent between the university, take the same courses, second quarters of 2025 and and may even sit beside each 2026. Still, this does not mean other in the same lecture hall, that housing has suddenly their different hometowns means become affordable for students. Mortgage Housing Montreal cut 21,000 jobs in they’ll pay dramatically different Canada fees for the same university experience. Corporation reported that rents August alone, while the city’s unemployment Tuition, however, the rate stood at 6.5 is only beginning of this per cent. problem. Although this The variation in was comparable cost of attending to Toronto’s 6.7 McGill as an out-ofper cent and province or Vancouver’s 6.5 international student per cent, the sharp is also significant, monthly loss of particularly when it employment points comes to the to a difficult job choice of living in market for students residence for first who are looking for year. At New work. The Residence Hall, unemployment rate for example, a for people aged 15 to regular double 24 was 12.9 per cent, room costs $1,575 and among students a month per planning to return student while a to school it was 15.6 single room costs per cent nation$1,800. Students wide. For students also have to who do not speak purchase a French, the search mandatory $6,150 can be even more meal plan limited, 28 per alongside other cent of Englishresidence fees. speaking adults Annabelle Premont | Staff Illustrator Cheaper options in Quebec who exist, such as Solin Hall, where rose 7.2 per cent in 2025 and that had recently applied for a job or rooms start at $1,135 a month and the city’s most affordable units promotion felt they had been students cook for themselves; remained particularly difficult to unsuccessful because of however, they must commute to find. Students already working with language-related reasons. campus. Some first-years also limited budgets do not necessarily Working a part-time job during choose to live off-campus, while feel the effects of a cooling rental university can be a valuable local Quebec students who can market following years of experience for many students, yet stay with family may avoid housing increasing housing costs. there is a difference between McGill itself recommends choosing to work part-time for Milton-Parc, downtown, and the extra cash and depending on a job Lower Plateau for students who to afford the costs of university. want to stay close to campus, These hours spent working to while pointing students looking afford one’s studies are lost hours to save money towards that could have been spent neighbourhoods such as Verdun, studying, participating in clubs, NDG, Hochelaga, Villeray and volunteering or simply resting. Parc-Extension. The latter set of McGill does provide financial options are farther away and are support to its students. Based on therefore cheaper at the cost of a university data, McGill offered longer commute. more than $6.2 million in The most obvious response to entrance scholarships to over rising student expenses is often 2,000 students in its most recent what I like to label as the “just admission cycle. It also get a job” choir. While people will distributed $6.3 million in needoften give this response to based entrance bursaries to 550 students facing financial incoming students with average troubles, the solution is not bursary amounts increasing in always as simple as it sounds. accordance to tuition status. Even
Rankings do not necessarily show how affordable Montreal is for students, who struggle to manage their finances with expenses like rent, food, and tuition. Quality of life varies widely, and the concept of "affordability" itself is subjective.
If Montreal wants to continue defining itself as a student city, affordability should mean more than simply being cheaper than somewhere else. It should also mean that students can realistically and comfortably afford to live and study here. though these programs make university possible for students who might otherwise struggle to attend, the existence of financial aid does not erase the larger question of whether the cost of university itself has become increasingly difficult to manage. Quebec is not unfamiliar with this question. In 2012, thousands of students wore red felt or fabric squares and marched in what became known as the Printemps Érable , or Maple Spring. The protest was mainly organized to oppose planned increases to university tuition as well as concerns surrounding student debt and access to education. The movement secured a key victory in September 2012, when Pauline Marois’ newly elected Parti Quebecois government cancelled the planned tuition increases, fulfilling a central demand of the student strike. Fourteen years later, tuition remains part of the affordability debate but has now grown more pertinent alongside issues such as rising rent, food security, employment, residence costs, and the disparity of costs across many demographics of students. Montreal is still less expensive than many other major North American university cities. Both these things can be true, while still keeping the door open for debate regarding affordability for the city’s student population. For an international student paying substantially higher tuition, a student relying on part-time work, or someone trying to cover rent without family support, life in the same city, at the same university, can look completely different. If Montreal wants to continue defining itself as a student city, affordability should mean more than simply being cheaper than somewhere else. It should also mean that the students can realistically and comfortably afford to live and study here.
COMPENDIUM!
September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
11
Back to Basics: McGill Compendium! How much do you know about McGill's student life? Across 2. The ____ of Canada 5. Fastest $500 you've ever spent 6. Biggest library on campus 8. Where to find cheap posters every fall semester 10. Smallest McGill faculty 12. Electronic music artistst who claimed in an interview with Pitchfork magazine that she was expelled from McGill for skipping class Down 1. McGill was the birthplace of this sport, as well as hockey 3. Club off of Saint Laurent where you'll find first-years 4. Name of McGill's mascot 7. (Arguably) the best dining hall 9. Where to sign up for clubs 11. Activist centre (you can also find one at Concordia)
Answers 1. Basketball 2. Harvard 3. Cafe Campus 4. Marty 5. OneCard 6. McLennan 7. New Residence Hall 8. Poster Sale 9. Activities Night 10. Dentistry 11. QPIRG 12. Grimes
12 September 21, 2026 | The McGill Daily | mcgilldaily.com
COMPENDIUM!
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The McGill Daily, in production for over 100 years, is an independent student newspaper at McGill University and the oldest English newspaper on campus. The Daily is entirely run by students and we publish in-print and online every Monday.
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